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The Dollar Store Diva: My Super-Simple Secret Recipe for a 4th of July Jello

June 25th, 2014 By Kaley1 CommentThis post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.Thank you for supporting Cha-Ching on a Shoestring!

I teach English to adult immigrants and refugees. Many of them are working toward US citizenship. I am so proud of them and grateful to be their “Teacher Nancy”.

I wanted to do something fun to teach my class about the happy American holiday–the 4th of July. So we played our national anthem and went to work.

Oh, how my international students enjoyed this thoroughly American project.

OK, it’s not really a secret since so many people have asked for the recipe for my super simple jello. The secret is actually a surprise ingredient: applesauce. No cold water. Applesauce instead. It’s as easy as that.

As in: a small box of Jello (3 oz. box) will call for one cup boiling water and one cup cold water. Cancel the cold water and replace it with applesauce. Super simple, right?! The larger box (6 oz. box) calls for two cups of boiling water and two cups of cold water; simply replace the two cups of cold water with the same amount of applesauce. [See note in Step #3 if you use a larger pan.}

So here you go for a thoroughly American 4th of July Jello:

#1

Choose the red Jello/gelatin flavor of your preference. For the flag Jello, use a 6 oz. package of Jello, and stir in two cups of boiling water until the powder dissolves .

#2

Next stir in two cups of applesauce (I use no-sugar added).

NOT ONE SPECK OF COLD WATER ANYWHERE–only applesauce.

#3

Pour the mixture into an oblong pan and put it in the refrigerator until it gels.

{You’ll notice in the picture that I used a small oblong pan for my flag. If you use a 13×9″ pan, you’ll want to use an extra 3 oz. box of Jello, thus adding one more cup of boiling water and one more cup of applesauce. The bottom line is that the exact amount of applesauce replaces the exact same amount of cold water.}

#4

And now the fun begins!

Place a handful of fresh blueberries over a a thin rectangular layer of whipped topping in the upper lefthand corner.

Use whipped topping to create the white stripes on the flag. I had just used a Mother’s Day Amazon gift card to buy a Wilton Decorating set; the star tip was perfect for piping the stripes.

And there you have it: Isn’t it beautiful?

And aren’t those two women beautiful? {Spoken by a proud teacher.}

Happy 4th of July!

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For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power. She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into treasures that would brighten anyone’s day!